MIAMI, Fla. (August 19, 2021) – The Southeastern Fire have been selected as The Sun Conference Women’s Cross Country preseason favorite to repeat as league champion, as voted on by the league’s nine coaches.
The defending conference champion received 62 points (six first-place votes) followed by Ave Maria, which garnered 53 points (one first-place vote). Sitting in third place was SCAD Savannah with 50 points (two first-place votes), and in fourth was St. Thomas with 39 points.
Keiser (36 points) and USCB (36 points) tied for fifth, while Thomas (seventh with 22 points) Warner (eighth with 14 points), and Webber International (ninth with 12 points) round out the poll.
Finishing the last season ranked No. 22 in the nation, the Fire placed all five scoring runners in the top 10 and cruised to a team victory in The Sun Conference 2020 Women’s Cross Country Championship – 61 points ahead of runner-up Ave Maria.
Ave Maria (picked second in this year’s poll) placed second in last year’s championships with 80 points followed by USCB (picked tied for fifth) with a third-place finish (84 points) in 2020. SCAD Savannah (picked third in this year’s poll) did not compete last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2021 season begins on Saturday, August 28 with the St. Thomas Cross Country Invitational. The 2021 SUN Women’s Cross Country Championship will be held on Saturday, November 6, at Holloway Park in Lakeland, Florida.
2021 Sun Conference Women’s Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Poll
| Rank |
School (First Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Southeastern (6) |
62 |
| 2 |
Ave Maria (1) |
53 |
| 3 |
SCAD Savannah (2) |
50 |
| 4 |
St. Thomas |
39 |
| T5 |
Keiser |
36 |
| T5 |
USCB |
36 |
| 7 |
Thomas |
22 |
| 8 |
Warner |
14 |
| 9 |
Webber International |
12 |
ABOUT THE SUN CONFERENCE
Now entering its 32nd year, The Sun Conference, a 501c3 organization, continues to be one of the most successful intercollegiate athletic conferences in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Under the guidance of Commissioner Dustin Wilke, the league sponsors championships in 19 NAIA sports: Baseball, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, Flag Football, Men’s and Women’s Golf, Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Softball, Men’s and Women’s Tennis, Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field and Women’s Volleyball. Learn more @ thesunconference.com
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